What was the impact of the industrial revolution on Australia?

Answer 1

Australia was not yet colonised when the Industrial Revolution occurred in England, but it was an event that had a lasting effect on the continent. Because the Industrial Revolution resulted in mass unemployment, people were forced to steal food and basic necessities in order to survive. jails (spelt gaols) were overcrowded, and England could not support or house all its petty criminals. As a result, England looked to send its convicts overas. Initially, they were sent to North America, but the American War of Independence stopped that. The "uninhabited" continent of Australia in the South Pacific was a logical choice to send the convicts, as it gave Britain a presence in the South Pacific, and provided a strategic outpost and trading port.

Thus, it can be seen that, had the Industrial Revolution not occurred, it is likely that Australia would have been colonised by the French, who were certainly doing some exploration in the Pacific at the time.